Blagojevich won't go to D.C.

January 05, 2009

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has no plans to go to Washington to present Roland Burris as his appointee to the U.S. Senate, a spokesman for the governor said this morning.

However, his acting chief of staff, Clayton Harris III, will leave for the nation's capital this morning to hand-deliver the certificate of appointment to the Senate, even though it doesn't bear Secretary of State Jesse White's signature.

The certificate is required by the Senate.

The governor plans to spend the week in Chicago, spokesman Lucio Guerrero said.

Burris also is leaving for Washington this morning. On Sunday, he said: "I am now the junior senator from the state of Illinois. Some people, they want to doubt that. That is their right."

He pledged not to create "any theater" at the Capitol Building, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sounded a similar conciliatory note by refusing to rule out the possiblity that Burris would be seated Tuesday against the wishes and avowed intentions of Senate Democrats.